Jin Chanrong, a prominent international relations scholar at Renmin University, has called for stronger birth policies in China.
Since September 5, Jin has been emphasizing the seriousness of China's population decline through several posts on his official social media account, according to Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao on September 8. His comments have sparked significant discussion online.
Jin defined population as a core strategic asset for the nation, arguing that China's competition is not just with the United States and its population of over 300 million, but with the entire Western world, which has about 1 billion people. He countered the perspective that fewer people lead to more resources per capita, citing examples of population outflow in Northeast China. He stressed that the issue of population should not be oversimplified, as a large population is a key source of talent and engineering expertise. He noted that a significant drop in student numbers does not guarantee the cultivation of more talented individuals, even with sufficient teaching staff.
While acknowledging that demographic changes are gradual and their effects may not be felt for years, Jin pointed out that the current situation is urgent. He warned that if the issue is not addressed promptly, future responses will be even more challenging. He urged government agencies at all levels to adopt a sense of urgency in their thinking, enhance policy intensity, and focus efforts on mitigating the trend of population decline. Jin agreed with the government's policy on fostering new quality productivity but called for more resources and capabilities to be directed toward addressing population issues.
In response to Jin's assertions, some netizens expressed skepticism. One user remarked, "While the idea of competing with 1 billion in the West is a grand discourse, I am facing three major challenges: mortgage loans, tuition fees, and childcare costs." Another user commented, "The reason people are not having children now is not that they don't want to, but because they can't. Even if they do have children, they cannot provide a good life for them, and their own circumstances are worsening."
Meanwhile, the number of newborns in China last year was 7.92 million, a decrease of 1.62 million from 9.54 million in 2024. The birth figures have shown a continuous decline over the past seven years, dropping from 18.83 million in 2016 to 9.02 million in 2023, with a slight increase in 2014 to 9.54 million before plummeting again last year. The number of births last year was less than half of that in 2016.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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